Wichita eagle., 1887-01-09
-.sSAliLsz~
9a1lY = eagle
THE CANALS OF MARS.
6CHlAPARElLIS' DISCOVERY CON-
FlRMED BY OTHERS.


covered in Mars by the Director OF the
Milan neutrality-suspicious. Of a
Startling Character.
The discovery of a network, of so-callcd
canals upon the planet Mars by Schiapare!i
several years ago has been confirmed this
year by observers both in England and Italy.
In 1877, Mars, being on the same side Of the
sun as the earth was, and in that part OF its
orbit which brought it unusually close to the
earth, shOne with great splendor il the mid
night SKY 1t was under these favorable cir
cuinstances that Professor Hall, with the
huge telescope that had just been set up at
Washington, caught sight Of two small Eloons
revolving close around Mars, and moving so
swiftly that they might almost be compared
to little golden shuttles playing back and
forth on either side Of the ruddy planets
disk. The fame of this discovery was 50
great and the delight Of the astronomers,
who found here Il new and totally une1-
pected test OF the laws OF planetary motion,
go unbounlel that another discovery, made
at the same time, received comparatively lit
tleattention. This other discovery, was the
work of the keen eyed director Of the Milan
observatory, NJ. Schiaparelh. He found
that the equatorial regions OF Mars were III
tersected by long narrow lines which resen-
bled in color those spots that are believed to
be seas, and which began and ended IN these
Martian seas, thus indicating a close connec-
ton between chem.
The shape of the supposed water courses
suggested the name canals" which was ap-
piled to them. Some astronomers OF reputl-
ton argued that they really were canals con-
structed by the supposititiOus inhabitants OF
Mars: and TO the objection that the canals
were too large to admit of the supposition that
they could be artificial works-some being
sixty miles or more broad-they replied that
since the force of gravity upon Mars Is very
much less than upon the earth, the inhabit-
ants of that planet might attain a proper
tionately greater stature and q muscular
power and Z giAty tia, would enable them 10
undertake works utterly beyond the capacity
OF Terrestrial men This sort Of speculation
tended to bring SchiGparcIli'5 really brilliant
discovery into derision, particularly among
those whose telescopes did not reveal the
phenomena he had detected. But Sciiai5areli
insisted that he had seen what lie lad seen,
and his discovery was defended by his well
established reputation as an Observer.
situated he saw his canals again, ana dis
covered number Of new ones, am. III the
fall and winter of lSSl-2 he repeated lis Oh
servations On these last two occasions he
made a still more surprising discovery,
namely, that the canals, or many OF them,
were double. Right alongside those which he
had seen before, and following the same sin
uosities, he detected new canals. He made q
map Of Mars Oh Iercator'5 projection, and in
this map the whole surface OF the planet cX-
cept in the polar regions, is seen covered with
q network of dark stripes running in pairs,
interesting the continents il every direction
and invariably ending in tho surrounding
seas.
The manner in which the doubling of tie
canals was effected was not the least aston
ishing part of thc discovery. They were rot
all seen double al once. Schiaparelii himself
suggested that the phenomenon depended in
some way upon the seasons Of the planet.
One after another the canals would double
up No less than seventeen successively cX-
hibited this appearance in the course Of a
single month. The new canal would appear
at first as faint streak, barely discern.ble
alongside the old one. 1t would then rapidly
become darker and palmer, until in the
course or a few days il was as broad and dis
tinct as the original canal.
This strange doubling of the so-yalled
canals made the whole phenomenon appear
to those who were originally inclined to
doubt It's reality Us the result Of mere lmagi-
nation or self-deccption on the part Of the OBJ
server. Schiaparclli himself relates tagt hc
was SO astoundCd by what he saw That at
first Re Thought he must be the victim OF an
"illusion, caused by fatigue OF lie eye and
some new kind o. strabismus.' Bao he con-
WINGED himself by the most painstaking o6-
servations that there was 80 deception about
his discovery. "Asthings stand, he said, 1t
would be premature to pct forth coajecturcs
about the mature Of these canals As t. their
existence, / need not say that l have taken
every necessary precaUtion to avoid even The
suspicion OF illusion, and / am absolut ~
certain of what | have seen"
Yet, notwithstanding II. Schiaparells go
surance that the world of Mars really
possesses these curious markings, the fact has
hitherto rested principally upon his ob-erya
tons alone To be sure, few Of his canals
had been detected several years before his
original obsery alton, notably by Dawes, but
nobody besides Schiaparelh had behall thl
phenomenon on any such scale rs nas cxhib
tied in his map. But now confirmation OF
his discoveries comes from two most trust
worthy sources. During the opposition Of
Mars this year Mr.. Denning, Of Bristol, ant
Mn Thollon and Porrot!n, Of Nice, under
took careful telescope studies OF the planets
surface hTr Denning was able TO detect tht
existence Of Schiaparelhs canals, although
they were very faint lines Is he saw them
and he did not perceive them double. Never
theless, he saw enough to convince him tina
there was no deception in the Italian astron
omer's observations.
Mn Perrotm and Thollon, in the pure
skies Of Nice, were able to accomplish mucl
more. They plainly saw the double canals o
Schiapareili, and also detected the cUriou
and rapid changes in the appearance OF thes
objects that SO astonished their original dis
coverer. Schiap3relh himself ct about III
same time redscoverci the double canals
New York Sun.
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